The Jewish Book of Horror

by Daniel Braum, Elana Gomel, Josh Schlossberg (Editor)

THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR Edited by Josh Schlossberg
Horror is part of the human condition, but few peoples across the ages know it quite like the Jews.
From slavery to pogroms to the Holocaust to antisemitism, the "Chosen People" have not only endured hell on Earth, they've risen above it to share their stories with the world.
Whether it's pirate rabbis or demon-slaying Bible queens, concentration camp vampires or beloved, fearless bubbies, THE JEWISH BOOK OF HORROR offers you twenty-two dark tales about the culture, history, and folklore of the Jewish people.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
An Orchard of Scary Stories and the Jewish Tradition by Rabbi John Carrier
Origins of The Jewish Book of Horror by Josh Schlossberg
Torah-fying An Introduction to Jewish Horror by Molly Adams
On Seas of Blood and Salt by Richard Dansky
The Last Plague by KD Casey
The 38th Funeral by Marc Morgenstern
Same as Yesterday by Alter S. Reiss
How to Build a Sukkah at the End of the World by Lindsay King-Miller
Demon Hunter Vashti by Henry Herz
The Horse Leech Has Two Maws by Michael Picco
The Rabbi's Wife by Simon Rosenberg
Ba'alat Ov by Brenda Tolian
Eighth Night by John Baltisberger
Bread and Salt by Elana Gomel
In the Red by Mike Marcus
A Purim Story by Emily Ruth Verona
Catch and Release by Vivian Kasley
Phinehas the Zealot by Ethan K. Lee
The Wisdom of Solomon by Ken Goldman
Welcome, Death by J.D. Blackrose
Forty Days Before Birth by Colleen Halupa
The Hanukkult of Taco Wisdom by Margret Treiber
The Divorce From God by Rami Ungar
The Hand of Fire by Daniel Braum
Bar Mitzvah Lessons by Stewart Gisser

Genres: Horror, Short Stories, Jewish, Fiction, Anthologies, Historical Fiction, Judaism

358 pages, Paperback

Published October 2, 2021

Reviews

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Jewish Book of Horror, ed. Josh Schlossberg (pub. Denver Horror Collective) is a dark, informative and entertaining read. I was drawn to this book because I was wondering how can a people, who have endured so much during the history of the human race, create fictional horror and I also wanted to know what was different about ‘Jewish’ horror compared to standard offerings.

The answer is to be found in the rich religious traditions and folk culture associated with the Jewish people, an aspect given a greater voice in the introduction by Rabbi John Carrier. Story settings varied from biblical to present-day to post-apocalyptic. Demons abounded, and I encountered the dybbuk properly. Social mores and expectations were also touched on, whether to be battled against or to attempt to maintain. Some were quiet horror, others less so, nor was the tragedy of the concentration camp shied away from. Religion and the question of faith was central to many.

It’s hard to highlight favourites when there isn’t a bad story amongst them, but a few standouts for me were ‘How to Build a Sukkah at the End of the World’ by Lindsay King-Miller, ‘The Horse Leech has Two Maws’ by Michael Pico and ‘Ba’alat Ov’ by Brenda Toliari.

Jewish horror as a subgenre is unique, it carries the weight of one of the oldest traditions in the world. This is horror from a different perspective and all the more refreshing for it.

[BookishlyJewish]

This review was originally posted on my blog

I make no bones about the fact that I rarely write or read horror. It comes up in almost every conversation I have about being an SFF writer, because horror is often lumped in with SFF. I simply tell people I'm a delicate flower and move on, because I don't want to get into a heavy discourse about the real reasons I have so much difficulty with the genre. Reasons that are inherently linked to my being a Jew

As a child I was steeped in generational trauma - I had to clean my plate because my grandparents starved in the Holocaust, almost every holiday we celebrated featured someone trying to annihilate our entire people and the words Pogrom, Cossack, Inquisition, and nazi were far more familiar to me than the vocabulary I was supposed to be studying for the SAT. It's even worse for kids today. With the advent of social media, and the platform it provides for anonymous racism and antisemitism, a thirteen-year-old can't even post a video of himself laying tefillin without getting by hundreds of comments declaring he should have been sent to the gas chambers. Nope, there is enough horror in my real life. I don't often seek to add more

The Jewish Book of Horror, edited by Josh Schlossberg, changed some of that for me. In it there are stories ranging from the times of The Bible all the way to modern suburbia, each featuring their own version of what is considered horror, all tied together by the single thread of having been written by a Jew about Jewish topics. Unlike the usual horror offerings, I found these tales to be representative of a larger movement happening within the horror community of today. Marginalized writers are taking back the genre, using it to confront some of their own demons and show the world the horrors they personally experience. Instead of making me feel nauseous and sick, these stories inform and empower.

As mentioned, the level of gore ranges from the mildly creepy underpinnings of a normal society (The 38th Funeral by Marc Morgenstern, In the Red by Mike Marcus), to biblical stories explained (Ba'alat Ov by Brenda Tolian) to all out zombie apocalypse (How to Build a Sukkah at the End of the World by Lindsey King-Miller). Some contained familiar creatures from Jewish myth (The Rabbi's Wife by Simon Rosenberg is a Golem story, Bar Mitzvah Lessons by Stewart Gisser features the Satan itself as a character ), while others utilized some of the sweeter bits of Jewish lore I've ever heard and turned them on their head (Forty Days Before Birth by Colleen Halupa revolves around the legend that a persons marital partner is decreed forty days prior to their birth). Others were downright gleeful (Demon Hunter Vashti by Henry Herz made me laugh out loud as did The Hanukkult of Taco WIsdom by Margret Treiber).

Horror is meant to offer a safe exploration of thoughts and ideas that are other to the reader, a way to delve into the depths of our nightmares and expose them to the light so that we might learn and grow as a society. As with any exploration, it should only be undertaken with the express permission of the reader. Therefore, If you find Holocaust narrative a difficulty topic (I do, there's no shame in that) then you may wish to skip The Horse Leech Has Two Maws by Michael Picco which adds an additional layer of abomination upon a time when Jews were already subjected to horrors the likes of which no author has ever manage to replicate in fiction. It is interesting to note that the main character in this tale is in fact not Jewish. Instead he has been consigned to the camps for being a gay man. I appreciated this reminder that when one marginalized community falls the rest are sure to follow. Similarly, Elana Gomel's Bread and Salt details what happens when Jews attempt to return to their ancestral homes after a war. Spoiler alert - they are not greeted with flowers and hugs.

Anyone that finds rape triggering may elect to skip John Baltisberger's Eighth Night, which contains some references to sexual assault by demon. Those who have struggled with obtaining a Jewish divorce - a get - might find The Divorce From God by Rami Ungar to hit too close to home, although the twist at the end is not what you are expecting. The Hand of Fire by Daniel Braum revolves around a potential nuclear Holocaust involving Israel that may also be too real or anxiety provoking for some readers. And in content warnings people are not expecting, but I feel to my very core, if you are they type of Jew that worries about divine retribution for every single mistake you ever make in ritual observance then Phinehas the Zealot by Ethan K. Lee is not the story for you.

I was deeply disturbed, in the best possible way, by K.D. Casey's story The Last Plague in which there is a modern day persecution of Jews. Same as Yesterday by Alter S Reiss filled me with a nostalgia only Catskill's going, bungalow colony dwellers will ever truly understand (the line about the knish truck slayed me). The Wisdom of Solomon by Ken Goldman and Welcome Death by J.D. Blackrose both felt like modern day fairy tales. Not the Disney version, but the dark lush pieces The Brothers Grimm used to write.

There are stories here to entertain while they terrify- On Seas of Blood and Salt by Richard Dansky has a pirate Rabbi and a A Purim Story by Emily Ruth Verona is a clever take on parenting and Mazzik's. There are stories here to make you pause - I'll never look at the taslich ritual quite the same way now that I've read Vivian Kasley's Catch and Release. In short, there are stories here for everyone. They key, as with all horror, is to find the ones that help you delve to the depths of your soul without losing your mind

-This anthology featured an open call for stories, a process I believe helps improve equity in publishing -
- I received a reviewers e-book in exchange for an honest review.

[Robin Knabel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this book to be so enjoyable! The horror stories were diverse and exciting. I loved knowing that each story was based off of a Jewish tale, which made each one that much richer. I have a spoiler-free review on my website. I would recommend this book to horror lovers!

https://robinknabel.squarespace.com/r...

[Alan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This anthology collects 22 tales of Jewish horror, purportedly based on a rock carved with horrific tales Moses found in Midian, written by Jewish authors or authors with close ties to Judaism. They range in history from biblical times to the times of pirates to WWI, WWII, and modern day. The stories feature various pieces of Jewish folklore and history, such as dybbuks, golems, mazzikim, as well as more traditional demons and historical figures, and even a touch of sci-fi. I can't think of any that really stood out for me, as most were good but not sensational. This book would be good if you're looking for some stories out of the ordinary and/or with lesser used religious spins to them.

[Alex · Rating 5 out of 5]

The forewords are nice (all three of them) as they help frame a way to mindfully approach the stories in this anthology. “On Seas of Blood and Salt” by Richard Dansky blows the doors off and tells us everything this anthology is going to deliver. Sorrow and redemption. Magic and gore. Avoiding violence when possible, but fighting back when the circumstances are dire.

“The Last Plague” by K.D. Casey is a heartbreaking exploration of a near apocalypse that we hope should never come, but its guideposts are all too familiar. “Same as Yesterday” by Alter S. Reiss is an excellent tale of nostalgia and superstitions and binding spirits while exercising inadequate control. "Ba'alat Ov" is a delightfully moody and cosmic Old Testament oracle horror story. This will get people back into studying scripture. I could keep pointing to stories that hit me hard and showed me wonderful new perspectives, but instead of reading my ramblings, go pick this book up and get it into your veins.

[Dave Hirsch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mazzikim, dybbuks, & golems! Good fun. Favorites include:

The Rabbi's Wife - Simon Rosenberg (a nice twist on a familiar sort of tale)

Eight Night - John Baltisberger (brutal!)

Bread and Salt - Elana Gomel (this one is a gut punch and plays off of the real experiences of Jewish people returning to their old homes after WWII)

The Wisdom of Solomon - Ken Goldman (reminded me of something you might find in an old EC comic - in a good way!)

Forty Days Before Birth - Colleen Halupa (excellent and had me looking up a specific bit of theology)

[Thomas Gaffney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing collection. Honestly, I don't understand all the holidays, traditions, or folklore, but this collection was still frightening and enlightening. Out of all the stories, Eighth Night by John Baltisberger was easily the scariest and chilled me to the bone.

Highly recommended!

[Joe Kessler · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual for a genre anthology, some of these stories strike me as stronger than others, but they are collectively rather great, presenting a uniquely Jewish chorus of voices interpreting and exploring horror in that particular context. Here we find beings of Talmudic folklore like golems and dybbuks and Lilith and mazzikim, but also the more modern terrors of Nazis and homegrown bigots, or even those well-meaning yet alienating Christians who greet our continued existence as a religious minority in their midst with a bit of a blank-eyed stare. And there are Jews pushed to their own darkness too, lashing out and becoming the monstrous themselves.

Categorically, the entries in this volume gain impact by their #ownvoices status, providing a familiar Jewish texture in all manner of supporting background details and asking questions that specifically hail from within a Judaic tradition of practice, belief, argument, and doubt. Many pirates in fiction have encountered ships crewed by the dead, but I'd wager that only a Jewish captain would approach the problem and devise the solution as shown in Richard Dansky's "On Seas of Blood and Salt." Nothing but a rundown Catskills camp could possibly serve as the setting for Alter S. Reiss's "Same as Yesterday," and the specter of creeping antisemitism alone powers KD Casey's "The Last Plague," whose heroine gradually minimizes the visibility of her opening the door for the prophet Elijah each Pesach. The premise of Elana Gomel's "Bread and Salt" is likewise inescapably Jewish, since it concerns a woman returning to her Ukrainian village after the Holocaust to find her neighbors have stolen her home and a chicken-footed demon has claimed her son, but it also ends on a gutting twist that I can't imagine working for any comparable-sounding plot in a gentile fairy tale.

There are a few unfortunate missteps. I honestly hate "Eighth Night" by John Baltisberger, a graphically violent, misogynistic, and deeply unnecessary retelling of the beloved children's picture book Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins. (A sequel or an unrelated Hershel of Ostropol story would have been fine, but subverting the classic original into a splatterfest of rape and gore just feels cruel.) But thankfully that's the clear low point of the lot, and the rest are generally well worth the price of admission. I wouldn't say readers need to be Jewish to enjoy this title, but as a Jew I am personally thrilled for everything that's resonated with and spooked me therein.

[Content warning for suicide, gun violence, and death of children.]

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[Robert Lewis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite a rich history and plenty of both cultural and religious lore to draw from, for some reason the Jews have not been particularly well-represented in the horror genre. This anthology of twenty-two horror stories—along with a couple essays—offers a partial solution. Some of the tales are more directly taken from Jewish lore than others, while a few of them just offer a Jewish “flavor” to better known horror tropes, but the vast majority are at least interesting.

As is the case with any anthology, it was a bit of a mixed bag for me in terms of quality. A couple of the stories may not have done much for me, but the majority of them were quite good, with a couple even venturing into the territory of greatness. One question that might occur to prospective readers is whether this book is only for Jewish people or whether it’s intended for general audiences. And honestly, a bit of both. A couple of the stories do draw from Jewish lore in a way that some gentiles might not fully understand. There’s even a bit of Hebrew in there. But even then, everything is explained within the stories, if not fully then at least enough for readers to understand the Jewish traditions well enough to make sense.

I may not be Jewish myself, but as an admirer of Jewish culture and traditions, I found this a long overdue and much welcome addition to my reading.

[Ben · Rating 5 out of 5]

This collection features stories of trauma, culture, family, relationships, golems, demons, time-travel, and even a rabbi pirate.

This is (like pretty much all short story collections) a mixed bag, but in general this is a great collection and the stories I enjoyed made up for the ones I wasn't as keen on.

More Jewish horror literature, please!

My favourites:

The Last Plague by KD Casey
Wow. My chest hurt reading this. Powerful and haunting.

How to Build a Sukkah at the End of the World by Lindsay King-Miller
I loved how King-Miller used light (and examples of it slipping away) to emphasise the dark and sense of hopelessness. 'Now your sunburn is all peeled off...' Brilliant. I also lived the line, 'Nothing that walks this earth is any stranger or uglier or hungrier than you.'

The Rabbi's Wife by Simon Rosenberg
This took a surprising but cool turn about three quarters of the way through (where I thought, 'OH! Okay, I get what's happening here! Nice!') and had a satisfying (and poignant) ending.

Eighth Night by John Baltisberger
Brutal! This is the most graphic of stories in the collection. Really exacerbated the dread of where it would take us.

In the Red by Mike Marcus
This is another graphic one. A surgeon is forced to use his surgical skills for evil. Horrible, gory, and very jarring.

[D.S. West · Rating 3 out of 5]

As with any story collection, the quality of these Jewish-themed horror takes differs based on the writer, the reader, and the mood under which the two come together. Since I'm not very familiar with Judaism, many of the references to tradition, history, and folklore went over my head, while at the same time, I was consistently impressed by the rich foundation of mysticism and shared trauma the stories appealed to and emerged from. Evil doubles, apocalypses, and tests of spiritual resiliency are plentiful here... I believe my favorite personally is Elana Gomel's story "Bread and Salt," where the protagonist's damage and the immense personal toll of her sacrifices & experiences are more monstrous than the literal monster she encounters.

[Vivian Kasley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am an author in this anthology, but I can tell you that the stories in this book are dark and glorious! I enjoyed them all for different reasons. Some were sad, some were funny, and some were terrifying. It's a very different anthology theme wise, and should interest readers who not only enjoy being entertained, but also enjoy learning a little something when they read. These authors wrote their hearts out and it's beautiful. I believe these tales deserve to be read.

[Christopher Keiser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This surprising little beauty came out of a kitsch purchase. Little did I know that it would perhaps be the best "Themed Horror Anthology" I have ever read. That may seem like a slim genre, but, it is actually quite a compliment from someone who has read those types of anthologies since back in the day's when Alfred Hitchcock branded books came out every other month. Hardly a miss in the entire collection, I was never bored or speed reading through pages.

Highly recommend.

[Alicia Hilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well-curated anthology of memorable, dark tales. Favorite stories: Alter S. Reiss' "Same as Yesterday" and Elana Gomel's "Bread and Salt.”

[Bookworm of the Damned · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Book Review! In this episode, I review "The Jewish Book of Horror."

https://youtu.be/rCDAwNesBGA

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliant collection of stories. More than one left me going "what the fuck", which is the kind of horror I like best.

[Alanna L.P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The mystical elements of these stories is stunning. Your imagination will be delighted in the light these stories shine in darkness.

[Lynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overall strong collection of short stories. But, I was disappointed to learn that in a book titled "The Jewish Book of Horror," several of the authors were not Jewish.

[Jess]

Just the pirate tale "On Seas of Blood and Salt," by Richard Dansky, heard on PseudoPod

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

As part of this year’s deeper dive into Jewish-based horror tropes, The Denver Horror Collective comes in strong with this excellent anthology, the Jewish Book of Horror. Even the weakest 2-3 stories were still well written and often powerful and the really good ones are just fantastic.

I strongly recommend this for horror fans and plan on adding the Collective’s indigenous horror anthology, Consumed, to my October 2024 TBR pile.